Branch block.



PATENTED JULY 28, 1908.

H. R. SARGENT. BRANCH BLOCK.

APPLICATION TILED JULY13, 1906.

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD R. SARGEN'I, or SCHENEGTADY, NEW YORK, "AssreNoR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A co PoRA'rroN on NEW YORK.

BRANCH BLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1908.

' Application filed. July 13, 1906. Serial No. 326,058.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD R. SARGENT,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain-new and useful Improvements in Branch Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to electrical wiring devices and more particularly to branch blocks and similar devices for efiecting and protecting the junction of. branch conductors with main conductors When one set of conductors are connecte to another set of conductorsin the same place,

it is necessary to divert one or more conduc-' .tors ofone set about certain conductors of the other set, andheretofore it has been customary to, effect such diversion by passing *the diverted conductors through holes to the rear side of the branch block so that the body of the block may serve as aninsulating' barrier between such conductors.

'.This arrangement" is objectionable on account of the exposure of the diverted con- Qriar n-Qsa out 0..

. latter l ing, but cement when ductor or conductors to the wallor other support to which the block is secured. Attempts. have been made to overcome this objection by ,roviding a groove or groovesv n t e backs the for the ception of: 39:

rece ver-ted. conduct rs cave the .i it su ge volume to Work he objct of my invention is; to. provide a branch block by which the, respective conductors are effectually insulated from each other and accidental ex osure of any conductorrendered impossib e In carrying out my invention, I provide a branch block having. transverse grooves for the reception of the main'conductors, with binding clips for the branch conductors disposed transversely in the respective grooves,

and in order to'divert one of the branch conductors about one of the mainconductors, I make a deep channel in the front of the block across the groove carrying the interfering main conductor and dispose the diverted branch conductor in the bottom thereof and then fill the unoccupied ortions of the channel with an insulating lock which may be conveniently secured in place by directly connecting it with the diverted conductor. In the branch conductors are arranged receptacles for plug cut-outs, and over the Whole block is. placed a removable cover to protect all live parts of the device and'to give it an attractive appearance Fora more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be made to'the following detailed description and the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specication, in which Figure 1 shows inplan a branch block embodying one form of my invention with the cover removed; and Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1 and showing the cover in position.

The-branch blockl is madeof insulating material, such as porcelain, and is preferably surface atit's back side with feet 2 on the corners and having in its front side transverse grooves 3', 4 for the reception of the main conductors 5, 6 and longitudinal channels 7, 8, extending upwardly from the respective grooves. The right hand channel 8 extends across the upper groove 4 and intersects with groove 3 and from about the center of the bottom of the latter groove to a point'somewhat above groove (tis made deeper'ass'hown in Fig.v 2 and in this channel fis disposed a branch conductor 9 which is i made of sheet metal and bent to nearly con Eform. to the bottom of the channel. At the lower end it is provided with a binding screw 10 and a clamp plate 11 formaking electrical. contact with a bared portion of the lower main conductor v5.

Adjacent the right angle bends 12 and 13 in the branch'conductor and on'both. edges signed to fill up the channelS at the point of intersection with the upppr groove 4.

The upper end ofthe ranch conductor 9 is made inthe shape of a horseshoe and is ar- 4 ranged'to engage inturned flan e sections 18 on a screw shell contact'19, an by means of screws 20 extending through the block Into in the form of a rectangular slab with a plane 1 thereof fingers 14 are formed by cutting L- ders for-engaging an insulating block 17 detapped holes in the ends of the conductor 9, l i it is causedto securely bind the shell flanges to the block. Overlying the horseshoeshaped end of the conductor 9 is a disk of mica 21 which is held in pl'ace'by a center contact 22 extending through the opposite side of the screw shell 19 into the channel 8 where it is provided with an'enlarged end in which is a binding screw 23. The other channel 7 has a conductor 9 which is identical in construction with conductor 9, except that the depressed section is omitted. The

screw shell connections for conductor 9 are also like those heretofore described in connection with conductor 9. X

The removable cover 24 is preferably of porcelain and is designed to completely cover the block 1 and parts carried thereby, except that it has circular apertures 25 formed therein through which the plug fuses may be inserted in the screw shells 19. It is secured in place by suitable means such as screws passing therethrough and engaging nuts 26 secured to the block 1. I

I do not desire to restrict myself to the particular fornr or arrangement of parts herein shown and described, since his a parent that they may be changed and me ified without departing from my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is, 1. An electrical wiring device comprising an insulating block having in one side grooves for the reception of conductor wires and channels transverse to said grooves, metallic conductors secured in said channels and provided with shoulders, and a block of an insulating block having in one side grooves for the reception of conductor wires and channels transverse to said grooves, metallic conductors provided with cut-out receptacles located in said channels, a block of insulation secured to one conductor at the point of intersection of its channel with a groove, and an insulating cover secured to said block and inclosing said metal parts.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of July, 1906.

HO /VARD R. SARGENT. Witnesses BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ORFORD. 

